This study aims at elucidating the
universal phenomenon that native
literatures and translations can be beneficially and effectively used as
a launching pad to learn a foreign language like English. The source of
inspiration is the ardent students, willing to learn more and more
English but hailing from rustic surroundings in Tamil Nadu, India
who have English as their second language. The primary objective of any
language is to serve as a vehicle of thoughts and ideas. When this is
best served during the teaching of English through native literature and
translations it can expediently be adopted in class room situations.

Our students feel very much at home
with our own native
literature. More over it is familiar to them. When the same native
literature is used in the teaching of a foreign language like English,
the task is much easier. I tried this method to develop communication
skills and to enrich their vocabulary among students and found to be
very effective.

What is already known to students may be
taken readily to teach
English in an Understandable way.

Interesting and funny stories , anecdotes
may be expediently taken
to make English teaching interesting. Jokes from native language also
will serve the purpose. Word punning will not work in bilingual
situations. Very rarely brilliant teachers find opportunities in this
realm also.

Personal Experiences of this English
Teacher:

The theme
of one of the original Tamil literature works
insists to “search not only food but also God”. It says
in Tamil verbatim “ Besides searching food, search God too ”. When
teaching this maxim, this English teacher used the pun of the Tamil word “ Irai
“ (which interestingly mean both food and God in Chaste Tamil)
which in turn in English also both mean “Prey” and “Pray” (of course
pronunciation wise same). In the class this application had
tremendous effect.

When
we teach English through Local literature, we create a sort of homely
atmosphere at the same time to prepare themselves with a smooth
transition for a foreign language. This process works slowly but sometimes
instantly with desired results but steadily. Local literature is taught from
tender age onwards to children in any country. So it is well entrenched in
their minds if used in learning English.

Local
food served in Foreign Plates.

Teaching
English through the use of Local Literature is akin to serving local and
customized food through foreign plates. When a difficult- to – swallow pill is
coated with sugar, then the job is made easy Same is the case with
Teaching of English using native language and translations.

Our
students had better be introduced other family Relatives such as English only
from the Parent –Native Literature ,

Methodology

I
just observe students with a syllabus containing mostly materials from Local
literature and with certain dose of Translations from local literature. They
have enriched their vocabulary considerably.

Similarly
those students who have different set up of syllabus with very little exposure
to native literatures and translations or thereof , though subject
wise smart score poorly when it comes to English and also their vocabulary
range is.very limited.

Use
of the Bhaghawat Geetha to Teach English:

I
have used the Hindu scripture the Bhagawat Geetha abound in Lord Krishna’s wise
counsels to mankind , to teach English. It has permanent impact on the
minds of callow, young students both linguistically and Anglically. Some of the
verses are simply jugglery of words. “ I am in everything and In everything am
I” “ He who sees me in everything and in everything myself, is a real sage” “
He who sees action in inaction and inaction in Action, is a real sage”. These
quotations taken from the original native literature is really useful in the
teaching of English vocabulary with an alliterative style. Usually Lord Krihna
is loved by students for his resourcefulness and cleverness and for the
strategies with which he had fought the eipic
Mahabharatha war. When their English learning centers round their ideal, role
model hero, naturally they become absorbed with the teaching.

Stories
from native literatures told in English:

Stories create sort
of interest in the minds of both children and adults. The known and thought
provoking stories are told in English, students slowly pick up words from
English and understand with their mother tongue equivalents. In this method the
teacher must be fluent in both English and the native language.

Stories
are told from childhood onwards to children by their mothers with warmth
and affection. As such, when the same is used inside the class room in the
teaching of English, it is quite effective.

Effective
literature-based lessons engage learners and capture their interest. They make
the learners excited when they understand how
language is used to express an author’s expressions. They make learners
active participants in tasks that lead them to discover objective language
features and arrive at their own well-supported interpretations of a text. They
teach learners that their own understanding of a text is worthy of respect, if
it is supported by evidence from the text as narrated by the teacher in
English. They are the springboards for creative communicative post-reading
activities. They make learners want to read further literary texts on their
own.

Such
lesson outcomes do not happen by accident; teachers must carefully plan for
them. This article is firmly based on the theoretical principles
behind such lessons, but it will focus most heavily on experiential learning in
a workshop format. So, participants will apply the theory to create highly
motivating lessons with interesting stories that teach specific language
features as a means of understanding poems, short stories etc.

English
Teacher also learns in this Method

When
this teacher was teaching the local-legend associated with Lord Shiva with the
objective of teaching English, he found this is really a rewarding experience
to himself too. According to the legend, Lord Shiva offered to judge the
superior between Brahma, the God of creation and Vishnu , the God for
Protection. Lord Shiva gave them sort of test to pass out. Suddenly Shiva took
gigantic proportion and his head went beyond the sky and feet
penetrating the earth. Brahma had to touch the plaited hair of Lord Shiva and
Vishnu had to feel Shiva’s Lotus feet. In the Process Brahma assumed the
form of a swan and searched Lord Shiva’s matted hair. When the flying got
tough, Brahma asked the cactus flower, which was then falling from Shiva’s
hair, to lie to Shiva that he had touched his hair . When the cactus
flower lied to the Omniscient Shiva, he became angry and first
Changed himself into a massive column of fire and later to Mount
Arunachala. People even now circum ambulate this Holy Mountain Arunachala.
Earlier Vishnu masqueraded as a wild- boar, dug the earth in his pursuit of the
Lotus feet, but finally admitted his fruitless endeavour to Lord Shiva and
bowed down in all his belated humbleness Lord Shiva blessed him with as many
temples as there are for Lord Shiva.

In
my venture to teach English to my students with the above reference from the
Local literature, the first thing students learn is enriching their vocabulary
with new words such as “ gigantic, penetrating, matted- hair, plaited -hair,
assumed, Omniscient, massive , endeavour and circumambulation “ etc.

When
I planned to use this legend for English Teaching, invariably I had to include
new vocabulary at the same time in such a way as it will be easily digestible
by the students. In the process I found and used more and more new words but in
a slight dose.Do learners associate
positively when the teacher uses native literature and Translations in class?

Yes.
Many of our students who are in a quite precarious situation, have their
own wishes to pursue – to leave and start new lives in Greener Pastures
like America, Singapore etc. These are their dreams and they are preparing
displaying these aspirations partly by studying English. Such students
are self-motivated and even small encouragement from teacher’s side will work
wonders.Knowledge of native literature
is a path- laid in advance:

Aspiring students
enthusiastic to learn English are already familiar to some extent with their
native literature and translations of other literatures into their first
language. This condition is like a road laid f or the passage of traffic. Now
Riding or driving the English vehicle is comparatively a smooth affair.Local- Literature
serves as a bridge connecting mother tongue and English

They
say ‘the giver adds value to the gift’ Same way if the teaching of English
is given through local literature then it must be interesting and enjoyable
experience to the students.

Native
bodies in exotic outfits :

Learning
and teaching a foreign language like English through
native literatures is as simple a process as wearing foreign -styled dress
materials by native people. Student can easily digest what they have been
familiar with.

“Appropriate”
contextual support

Here
I deliberately use the word “appropriate” because I have chosen the vocabulary
understandable to even below average students in the class ,to teach English
through stories taken from local literatures.

When
I teach English vocabulary, this method comes in handy. Students have the twin
benefit of firstly enjoy the stories and literature which they know already but
in a different medium and they also learn English unwittingly.

Using
Translations for the Teaching of English

Using
Translations of native literatures as a tool to teach English involves minimum
effort with maximum results. Of course there are certain things to be taken
care of in this method. As far as possible the teacher should use a vocabulary
that is within the range of students’ comprehending capacity. Native literature
mainly revolves around a culture which is quite indigenous. In a diversified
culture there are certain terms for which we cannot find equivalents in
English. On such occasions the English Teacher can give allowance to the
students to clear their doubts when they don’t understand a particular
expression or expressions. As far as possible the English teacher can use one
word substitutes and when this is not possible the teacher can explain the
concept in a clear manner.

What
are the stumbling blocks in this method

The
teacher should judiciously select new dimensions, approaches and unknown
anecdotes from an otherwise known native literature and translations because
certain students likely to develop boredom towards what they know already. For
example a teacher can start Adam and Eve and man’s downfall story, which is
known to every student, with a different start. The teacher can take a cue from
the quotation “ If knowledge can create problems, it is not with
ignorance, we find solutions”. That the” tree of knowledge only is the cause of
miseries” is a kids play.

Uses
of different forms of Local literatures and translations in the teaching of
English.

Different
forms of native literature and translations serve different purposes. For
example in the study conducted, it is found that to develop conversational
skill in English, translations of dramas and plays from Local Literatures are
very useful as they are mostly written in dialog forms. Devotional songs
translated into English are approached by the students with as much veneration
as they are read in the original lingua franca. When stories from Local
literatures are used to teach English, students find words with their English
equals and thus slowly English Language becomes their second nature.

Conclusion:

Would
it be expedient to use native literatures and translations thereof to
teach English?

Yes
it is a wise move and it helps students two fold. Inculcating
values and moral practices according to the native culture in the
students’ mind is the bye product apart from making them conversant
and knowledgeable in English the main benefit of this method. This
method of teaching English also gives lasting benefits to both students as well
as to the teacher.